Protecting Cooperative Assets – History and Future
Co-operatives can amass large, accumulated assets, which can make it tempting for the current generation of members of co-operatives and mutuals to ‘cash-in’ those assets. By the process of ‘demutualising’, current members can take the gains built up by past generations for themselves.
How do we protect co-operative assets from demutualisation?
The seminar is jointly organised by Monash Business School’s Corporate Law, Organisation and Litigation (CLOL) Research Group, the Monash Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies (CLARS), Faculty of Law, Monash University and the Monash Value Lab, Monash Business School.
Speakers
| Time | Speaker(s) and Topic |
|---|---|
| 9–10am | Keynote (Zoom) Peter Hunt Mutuo (UK) An update on asset lock legislation in the UK |
| 10–10.30am | Dr Garry Cronan, University of Sydney Protecting Co-operative Assets: Institutional Resilience, Demutualisation and Asset Lock Reform |
| 10.45–11.15am | Dr Ann Apps, University of Newcastle Why do co-operatives demutualise? The impact of national competition policy on Australian dairy co-operatives |
| 11.15–11.45am | Prof Olivera Marjanovic, Macquarie University Emeritus Prof Greg Patmore, University of Sydney A/Prof Catherine Hardy, University of Sydney Protecting data assets |
| 11.45am–12.15pm | Isabelle Jenkins, Monash University Comparison of asset protections for co-operatives and mutuals in Australia, the United Kingdom and Italy |
| 1.15–1.45pm | A/Prof Julie Miao, University of Melbourne Preventing demutualisation by easing the financial gaps on housing co-ops |
| 1.45–2.15pm | Anthony Taylor, Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals The history of indivisible reserves in the ICA Co-op Principles |
Event organisers
- Dr Duncan Wallace, Monash Law School
- Dr Tamara Wilkinson, Monash Law School
- Assoc Prof Michael Duffy, Department of Business Law and Taxation, Monash Business School
- Assoc Prof Paul Thambar, Department of Accounting, Monash Business School
Event Details
- Date:
- 9 October 2026 at 9:00 am – 3:15 pm
- Venue:
- Monash Chambers, Level 1, 555 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Vic, 3000
- Categories:
- Business Law and Taxation
Description
Co-operatives can amass large, accumulated assets, which can make it tempting for the current generation of members of co-operatives and mutuals to ‘cash-in’ those assets. By the process of ‘demutualising’, current members can take the gains built up by past generations for themselves.
How do we protect co-operative assets from demutualisation?
The seminar is jointly organised by Monash Business School’s Corporate Law, Organisation and Litigation (CLOL) Research Group, the Monash Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies (CLARS), Faculty of Law, Monash University and the Monash Value Lab, Monash Business School.
Speakers
| Time | Speaker(s) and Topic |
|---|---|
| 9–10am | Keynote (Zoom) Peter Hunt Mutuo (UK) An update on asset lock legislation in the UK |
| 10–10.30am | Dr Garry Cronan, University of Sydney Protecting Co-operative Assets: Institutional Resilience, Demutualisation and Asset Lock Reform |
| 10.45–11.15am | Dr Ann Apps, University of Newcastle Why do co-operatives demutualise? The impact of national competition policy on Australian dairy co-operatives |
| 11.15–11.45am | Prof Olivera Marjanovic, Macquarie University Emeritus Prof Greg Patmore, University of Sydney A/Prof Catherine Hardy, University of Sydney Protecting data assets |
| 11.45am–12.15pm | Isabelle Jenkins, Monash University Comparison of asset protections for co-operatives and mutuals in Australia, the United Kingdom and Italy |
| 1.15–1.45pm | A/Prof Julie Miao, University of Melbourne Preventing demutualisation by easing the financial gaps on housing co-ops |
| 1.45–2.15pm | Anthony Taylor, Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals The history of indivisible reserves in the ICA Co-op Principles |
Event organisers
- Dr Duncan Wallace, Monash Law School
- Dr Tamara Wilkinson, Monash Law School
- Assoc Prof Michael Duffy, Department of Business Law and Taxation, Monash Business School
- Assoc Prof Paul Thambar, Department of Accounting, Monash Business School